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About The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jodan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

Philip Pullman’s award-winning The Golden Compass is a masterwork of storytelling and suspense, critically acclaimed and hailed as a modern fantasy classic.

This Yearling paperback edition includes 15 pages of bonus material: some found letters of Lord Asriel, his scientific notes and other archival documents. This edition also features artwork by Philip Pullman at the opening of each chapter.

A New York Times BestsellerA Newsweek Top 100 Book of All TimeAn Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest NovelWinner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction

“Very grand indeed.” –The New York Times

“Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.” –The Washington Post

“A shattering tale that begins with a promise and delivers an entire universe.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred

“The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.” –Terry Brooks

About The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

“The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.” –The Oregonian

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.

But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other. . . .

A New York Times BestsellerA Newsweek Top 100 Book of All TimeAn Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest NovelWinner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction

“Very grand indeed.” –The New York Times “Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.” –The Washington Post “A shattering tale that begins with a promise and delivers an entire universe.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred “The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.” –Terry Brooks

From the Hardcover edition.

About The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

Lyra Belaqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar Pantalaimon always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold, far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: She alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

A New York Times Bestseller A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction

“The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.” –Terry Brooks

About The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

“The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.” –The Oregonian

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.

But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other. . . .

A New York Times BestsellerA Newsweek Top 100 Book of All TimeAn Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest NovelWinner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction

“Very grand indeed.” –The New York Times “Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.” –The Washington Post “A shattering tale that begins with a promise and delivers an entire universe.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred “The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.” –Terry Brooks

About The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

“The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.” –The Oregonian

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other. . . .

A New York Times BestsellerA Newsweek Top 100 Book of All TimeAn Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest NovelWinner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction

“Very grand indeed.” –The New York Times “Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.” –The Washington Post “A shattering tale that begins with a promise and delivers an entire universe.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred “The Golden Compass is one of the best fantasy / adventure stories that I have read. This is a book no one should miss.”–Terry Brooks

Awards

ALA Best Books for Young AdultsWINNER 1997

ALA Notable Children’s BookWINNER 1997

Carnegie MedalWINNER 1996

Maine Student Book AwardWINNER 1997

Texas Lonestar Reading ListWINNER 1999

TimeOutNewYorkKids.com 50 Best Books for KidsWINNER 2012

American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) Award – ChildrenNOMINEE 1997

Massachusetts Children’s Book AwardFINALIST 1998

Praise

“As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra’s adventures.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

“Extraordinary storytelling at its very best.”—The Detroit Free Press

“Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.”—The Washington Post

About Philip Pullman

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.”—Philip PullmanPhilip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass…. More about Philip Pullman

About Philip Pullman

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.”—Philip PullmanPhilip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass…. More about Philip Pullman

About Philip Pullman

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.”—Philip PullmanPhilip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass…. More about Philip Pullman

About Philip Pullman

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.”—Philip PullmanPhilip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass…. More about Philip Pullman

About Philip Pullman

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.”—Philip PullmanPhilip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass…. More about Philip Pullman

Video & Media

Watch the trailer for His Dark Materials

Author Essay

What can I say? WOW! For years this friend of mine, who (for reasons of her own) reads a lot of young adult fiction, had been recommending that I read Phillip Pullman. But who wants to read books skewed to youngsters? So when this book came in, I figured OK, I could read the manuscript and kill two birds with the one proverbial stone: deal with the submission and get this pesky friend off my back for good. Well, THE GOLDEN COMPASS blew me away. I loved it; I love the sequel, THE SUBTLE KNIFE. And I went back and read Pullman’s other books, and loved them too (though GOLDEN COMPASS AND SUBTLE KNIFE are the best. And now I’m leading the chorus of readers waiting for book three… –Veronica Chapman, Senior Editor